Exclusive: Trusts missing key Carter targets

Most acute trusts failing to hit all three procurement efficiency standards

Handful of trusts complying with the three targets set out in the Carter Review

Lord Carter says trusts must ”up their game”

The majority of NHS hospital trusts have failed to hit the three key efficiency targets set out in the Carter review on time, HSJ research has found.

All acute non-specialist trusts should have been compliant with the procurement metrics, which aim to ensure hospitals better control their spending, by September 2017, according to the 2016 efficiency review by Lord Carter.

However, our analysis of figures from 102 non-specialist acute trusts has found only eight were hitting all three targets by the end of last year (see first table), while another eight were not hitting any (see second table).

Oxford University Hospitals and Bradford Teaching Hospitals both said as of February they are achieving two of the targets, while North Tees and Hartlepool FT said it was now meeting one.

A spokeswoman for South Warwickshire FT saidthe trust is implementing catalogue management and e-procurement systems to “help ensure these targets are met”. She said the trust is investing in “additional resource” to embed contract management processes across the organisation.

The other non-compliant trusts did not respond to HSJ in time for publication.

Lord Carter told HSJ: ”It is encouraging that some trusts are achieving all three targets, but others need to up their game.

“It’s been two years since my final report and since then we have equipped the NHS with the tools to help them achieve these targets. I now fully expect all trusts to use these tools and strive to achieve all three targets so that savings can be reinvested into patient care.”

The NHSI spokeswoman said the purpose of the “initial targets” was to give trusts something to aim for and help them identify which areas needed improvement to ensure value for money.

She said the regulator is supporting trusts to improve procurement processes through its price comparison tool and Nationally Contracted Products programme. So far, eight basic products (such as toilet paper, plastic examination gloves, and temporary shoes) have been bought through the programme on behalf of the whole NHS.

Commenting on HSJ’s findings, the head of procurement at a large trust, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “It’s a result of a landscape where there’s no mandatory national contracts and trusts have a choice of varying routes to market.

“I’m not surprised by the figures. We have worked in a service that historically hasn’t had key performance indicators, league tables or performance measures.”

Asked about how much importance should be placed on hitting the targets, the source said: “It should be something on heads of procurement’s agendas and directors of finance’s agendas and reported to the board along with the procurement transformation plans that we all have to do. I would argue it should be a key priority.”

A spokesman for the Health Care Supply Association, which represents NHS procurement professionals, said the Carter Review offered staff a “great opportunity to raise the profile and enhance the delivery of non-pay efficiency”.

“We have waited a long time for some nationally accepted metrics and let’s use them to support our work,” he said.

But he added: “Trusts will need to ensure sufficient investment in people and systems to support delivery.”

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